Wireless power receiver clients with dynamically reconfigurable antenna configurations

Abstract

The technology described herein relates to wireless power receivers with reconfigurable (or adaptive) antenna configurations for improved wireless power transfer in multipath wireless power delivery environments. In an implementation, a wireless power receiver is described. The wireless power receiver includes one or more radio frequency (RF) antennas, power metering circuitry and control circuitry. The power metering circuitry is adapted to measure at least one characteristic of wireless power received from a wireless power transmission system in a multipath environment. The control circuitry is adapted to monitor the power metering circuitry to determine when the measure of the at least one characteristic of the wireless power fails to meet a preset threshold, and dynamically reconfigure an antenna configuration of the wireless power receiver when the at least one characteristic of the wireless power fails to meet the preset threshold.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A wireless power receiver comprising:
 means for receiving wireless power from a wireless power transmission system (WPTS), the means for receiving wireless power having a plurality of configuration settings; and 
 circuitry coupled to the means for receiving wireless power, and configured to:
 measure at least one characteristic of the received wireless power; 
 determine that the at least one characteristic fails to meet a preset threshold; and 
 in response to determining that the at least one characteristic fails to meet the preset threshold, reconfigure the means for receiving wireless power by cycling through two or more of the plurality of configuration settings to identify one of the two or more configuration settings that provides the wireless power receiver a maximum wireless power transfer from the WPTS. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The wireless power receiver of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of configuration settings modifies one or more attributes of the means for receiving wireless power. 
     
     
       3. The wireless power receiver of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more attributes include at least one of: a radiation pattern, a polarization, a gain width, and a beam width. 
     
     
       4. The wireless power receiver of  claim 2 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to iteratively reconfigure the means for receiving wireless power according to each of the two or more configuration settings. 
     
     
       5. The wireless power receiver of  claim 4 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to iteratively measure the at least one characteristic for the each of the two or more configuration settings. 
     
     
       6. The wireless power receiver of  claim 5 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to compare each iterative measure of the at least one characteristic to further facilitate identification of the one of the two or more configuration settings. 
     
     
       7. The wireless power receiver of  claim 6 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to reconfigure the means for receiving wireless power according to the one of the two or more configuration settings. 
     
     
       8. The wireless power receiver of  claim 1 , wherein the means for receiving wireless power includes at least one radio frequency (RF) antenna. 
     
     
       9. The wireless power receiver of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one RF antenna includes a switchable antenna array. 
     
     
       10. The wireless power receiver of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one RF antenna includes a plurality of RF antennas. 
     
     
       11. The wireless power receiver of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of configuration settings adjust a type of the means for receiving wireless power. 
     
     
       12. The wireless power receiver of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one characteristic includes a measure of power received by the means for receiving wireless power from the WPTS. 
     
     
       13. The wireless power receiver of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one characteristic includes a signal strength measurement of the received wireless power. 
     
     
       14. A method of operating a wireless power receiver, the method comprising:
 measuring at least one characteristic of wireless power received, from a wireless power transmission system (WPTS), by a receiving means having a plurality of configuration settings; 
 determining that the at least one characteristic fails to meet a preset threshold; and 
 reconfiguring the receiving means in response to determining that the at least one characteristic fails to meet the preset threshold, wherein the reconfiguring comprises cycling through two or more of the plurality of configuration settings to identify one of the two or more configuration settings that provides the receiving means a maximum wireless power transfer from the WPTS. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of configuration settings modifies one or more attributes of the receiving means. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15  further comprising iteratively reconfiguring the receiving means according to each of the two or more configuration settings. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16  further comprising iteratively measuring the at least one characteristic for the each of the two or more configuration settings. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17  further comprising comparing each iterative measure of the at least one characteristic to further facilitate identifying the one of the two or more configuration settings. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18  further comprising reconfiguring the receiving means according to the one of the two or more configuration settings. 
     
     
       20. One or more non-transitory computer readable media having stored thereon program instructions which, when executed by a processing system of a machine, cause the machine to:
 measure at least one characteristic of wireless power received, from a wireless power transmission system (WPTS), by a receiving means having a plurality of configuration settings; 
 determine that the at least one characteristic fails to meet a preset threshold; and 
 reconfigure the receiving means in response to determining that the at least one characteristic fails to meet the preset threshold by cycling through two or more of the plurality of configuration settings to identify one of the two or more configuration settings that provides the receiving means a maximum wireless power transfer from the WPTS.